The present invention relates to a transfer sheet with a color pattern having metallic luster, and a method of manufacturing such transfer sheet.
For example, a commercial designer may prepare or make presentation of a dummy or mockup required for determining the design of a label, display, package or signature. In order to obtain a beautiful pattern having golden or silver metallic luster, it is conventionally required to use a hot-stamp method.
Accordingly, even when only one dummy or mock up is necessary, there is required a troublesome and very expensive method taking much labor and time, said method comprising the steps of: making a metal mold or foil pressing die (mold pressing plate) corresponding to a designed pattern or figure, according to mechanical cutting or chemical machining of a metallic plate such as a brass plate; mounting this foil pressing die to a foil pressing machine; strongly pressing this die heated to high temperatures to the surface of a predetermined base member by a mechanical operation; and stamping out a metallic foil according to the shape and size of the foil pressing die, simultaneously with contact-fusing and transferring the metallic foil to the surface of the base member. Such a method can be achieved only by a few specially equipped companies provided with very expensive hot-stamping facilities. This causes inconveniences and limitations.
In fact, there is often some reluctance to order such transfer sheet with a desired pattern having metallic luster, due to the comparatively expensive costs generally incurred regardless of the object and use, and in particular the extremely expensive costs incurred when a required amount of transfer sheets is relatively small.
In view of the foregoing, the inventor has made progress in his studies and experiments through many years in order to solve and eliminate such inconveniences and limitations for meeting the needs from the industry and the persons concerned.
As a result, the inventor has proposed the following new technology (hereinafter referred to as the prior art) on which a patent application was filed in Japan on Oct. 29, 1983, Ser. No. SHO57-190281 published May 9, 1984, under No. 57-190281.
As shown in FIG. 1(A), the transfer sheet according to the prior art comprises a transparent base film a, a mold-removing film layer b on one side thereof, a metallic foil layer c such as an aluminum foil having a desired color pattern disposed on the mold-removing film layer b, a protective film layer d on the metallic film layer c, and an adhesives layer e on the protective film layer d. Namely, the inventor has proposed a method of manufacturing such transfer sheet S', FIG. 1(A), with the use of which a desired color pattern having metallic luster is securely transferred by a simple operation. That is, with the sheet S' applied at its layer e to an objective article to which transfer is to be made, the base film a is rubbed at its other side with a roller or rod having a suitable hardness.
The description hereinafter will discuss in detail this method of manufacturing such transfer sheet S'.
As shown in FIGS. 1(A), (B), (C) and (D), the method comprises the steps of:
(I') forming a mold-removing film layer b having adhesive property on one side of a transparent base film a; PA1 (II') forming a metallic foil layer c by contact-pressing a metallic foil in desired colors, onto the mold-removing film layer b; PA1 (III') forming a protective film layer d with an oily ink ink on the metallic foil layer c; PA1 (IV') forming an adhesives layer e with an oily paste on the oily protective film layer d; PA1 (V') forming an aqueous sensitizer layer f on the oily adhesives layer e; PA1 (VI') placing an original film g in which the desired pattern is negative, on the sensitizer layer f so as to come in close contact therewith, irradiating ultraviolet rays onto the film g with the use of ultraviolet rays lamps h for printing, and removing the original film g; PA1 (VII') washing in water the base sheet i obtained according to the steps of (I') to (VI'), thereby to dissolve and remove the unexposed portions f.sub.2 of the aqueous sensitizer layer f other than the exposed and solidified portions f.sub.1 thereof (See FIG. 1(B)); PA1 (VIII') washing in an oily solvent the base sheet i, thereby to dissolve and remove the other portions of the oily adhesives layer e and oily protective layer d other than the portions thereof located under the exposed and solidified portions f.sub.1 of the sensitizer layer f (See FIG. 1(C)); PA1 (IX') removing by, for example, rubbing off, the exposed and solidified portions f.sub.1 of the sensitive layer f, and applying etching to the base sheet i with the use of a suitable solvent, thereby to dissolve and remove the portions of the metallic foil layer c other than the portions thereof located under the remaining portions of the oily adhesives layer e and the oily protective film layer d, thus completing a desired transfer sheet S' (See FIG. 1(D)). PA1 (I) forming a mold-removing film on one side of a transparent or semi-transparent base film; PA1 (II) forming a semi-aqueous transparent coloring agent layer on the mold-removing film layer; PA1 (III) forming an aluminum vapor-coated layer on the transparent coloring agent layer; PA1 (IV) forming a protective film layer with an oily ink on the aluminum vapor-coated layer; PA1 (V) forming an adhesives layer with an oily paste on the oily protective film layer; PA1 forming an aqueous sensitizer layer on the oily adhesives layer; PA1 (VII) placing an original film in which the desired pattern is negative, on the sensitizer layer so as to come in close contact therewith, irradiating rays of light onto the original film for printing, and removing the original film; PA1 (VIII) washing in water the base sheet obtained according to the steps of (I) to (VII), thereby to dissolve and remove unexposed portions of the aqueous sensitizer layer other than the exposed and stabilized portions thereof; PA1 (IX) washing in an oily solvent the base sheet, thereby to dissolve and remove portions of the oily adhesives layer and the oily protective film layer other than the portions thereof located under the exposed and solidified portions of the sensitizer layer; and PA1 (X) removing the exposed and solidified portions of the sensitizer layer and applying etching to the base sheet with the use of a suitable solvent, thereby to dissolve and remove portions of the aluminum vapor-coated layer other than the portions thereof located under the remaining portions of the oily adhesives layer and the oily protective film layer. PA1 (I) forming a mold-removing film layer on one side of a transparent or semi-transparent base film; PA1 (II) forming a semi-aqueous transparent coloring agent layer on the mold-removing film layer; PA1 (III) forming an aluminum vapor-coated layer on the transparent coloring agent layer; PA1 (IV) printing an oily adhesives layer in the form of the desired pattern on the aluminum vapor-coated layer; and PA1 (V) applying etching to the base sheet obtained according to the steps of (I) to (IV) with the use of a suitable solvent, thereby to dissolve and remove portions of the aluminum coloring agent layer other than those portions of the aluminum vapor-coated layer, the transparent coloring agent layer and the mold-removing film layer being located under the oily adhesives layer, the oily adhesives layer being in the form of the desired pattern and said those portions remaining on the base film.
At the stage of preparation or presentation of a dummy or mock-up of, for example, a commercial design, this method for manufacturing a transfer sheet according to the prior art above-mentioned, enables to prepare a transfer sheet having a function substantially the same as that of a transfer sheet obtained according to a conventional hot-stamping method, much more easily, readily and economically than the conventional method. This method, however, includes a defect in that the step (II') of forming a metallic foil layer c neatly with a metallic foil attached to the mold-removing film layer b, is technically very difficult and, in consequence, requires high skill.